Zoids: Wrath of the SkyFire
by Mr. Bigg
Summary: When Planet Zi is in danger, it's not very comforting to know that these guys are your best hope...
1. Default Chapter

Zoids: Trials by Fire  
  
By Mr. Bigg  
  
]Disclaimer: If I owned it, it'd be on Toonami by now.  
  
The sun beat on high overhead, scorching the ground below. It glared with white-hot intensity, as if daring anyone foolish enough to cross its path. Sand and rock covered the plains for miles, with the occasional cactus dotting the otherwise barren landscape. The only sign of civilization came form a small, dirt-colored structure with fuel pumps in front of it. In fading green letters above the entrance, the words "General Store" covered the front of the russet building.  
  
Steps led down from the store into the cool black interior, almost like descending into an underground grotto. The shelves were line with anything and everything one could possibly need; from food to fuel, there was little the store lacked in stock. It was here that three people were able to make a living in an otherwise forsaken wasteland.  
  
The first, a young man named Seth, snored loudly as he leaned back in his chair and rested his long, lanky legs on the counter. He pulled a battered, wide-brimmed hat over his eyes and rested his hands on his black shirt. A fly buzzed in his ear, and Seth vainly tried to swat it away with his hand. Finally, when it proved too much, he got up and snatched the fly out of mid-air, tossing it to the ground.  
  
"Ah, very good young grasshopper. But if the Lion drank the rose water, would his breath still smell as bad as you?" a voice asked from the other room. In strode Bryce, a short, well built teenager with shaggy brown hair. He wore only a singlet, along with some baggy cargo pants and some heavy boots. "I wouldn't know, but at least I don't suffocate anything downwind of me," Seth said glaring at Bryce with auburn eyes. "Ooh, aren't WE witty today. By the way, Blaze is supposed to come by with our shipment today. Any ideas where Case went?" Bryce asked.  
  
"He was annoying me earlier, so I sent him to do look for some scrap parts in the desert. I figured that would keep him occupied for a while," Seth replied. "I'm going back to sleep. I'm sure you can handle the shipment," he said as he went back to sleep. "Case better get back here soon," Bryce warned to no one.  
  
* * *  
  
By high noon, the desert was a veritable sea of heat. Desert creatures sought shelter from the sweltering sun. It was desert law: only fools were caught in the open in a desert noon.  
  
There was only one fool out today.  
  
The sturdy young man named Case drove through the desolate waste, gazing at the small radar on the dashboard. He was well built, wearing a beater and an open vest with raggedy cut-offs. Spiky black hair pointed skywards in the wind. "Hmm. Something up ahead," he muttered. He grabbed his canteen, took a swig, and pushed down on the gas, leaving a sandy wake to rain down on the rocky desert ground.  
  
Soon, Case reached his destination, only to find a few rocks. "I don't get it.. the radar said a large metal deposit was right around here..," Case complained, pacing in circles. He failed to notice the miniscule fissures forming on the earth he paced frantically. Sure enough, the ground let out a shuddering sigh as it swallowed Case into its murky depths. Case let out a cry as he fell onto the floor of the cavern. "What the hell?" Case coughed as he felt the unusually smooth cavern floor. He picked himself up, desperately grabbing for anything to support him.  
  
He flailing fist accidentally hit a switch, activating some ancient, but still functional, lights. Case gasped as he saw the room light up, revealing itself to be a huge hangar. The floor below was riddled with ancient and battered zoids, forever frozen in combat. "HOLY MEAT ON A STICK! IT'S THE JACKPOT!" Case yelled in shock, gazing at the sea of scrap below him. "I gotta get a bigger truck, I gotta get all this stuff back, I gotta.. I gotta get the guys!" Case whooped, running back to the hole he fell through. He quickly jumped in his jeep and sped across the desert.  
  
* * *  
  
A huge dust cloud drifted across the desert at a lumbering pace, shrouding anything caught in its wake. At the head of the cloud rode a large, battered Hover Cargo. So beaten up was the transport, that an onlooker could assume the dust-cloud was actually propelling the craft. It was a rather cumbersome piece of equipment, with grimy dark gray armor forming semi-circle over the body of the metal behemoth. Huge treads pressed themselves into the sandy floor, as a large, beige head-like structure poked out in front.  
  
Inside the control room, a scruffy, red- haired teenager checked the dashboard gauges, half of which looked like they held together only because of the large amounts of tape that covered them. The pilot shot a concerned glance at the fuel gage, which flashed the words 'empty' over and over. "Don't do this to me.. just a bit farther," the young man said, poking the gauge in a vain attempt to make the problem disappear. He let a sigh of relief escape when he saw the small trading post up ahead. He picked up his radio and said, "Yo! This is Blaze! Is anyone home?" There was a brief bit of static when a voice replied, "Bryce here. Blaze, you still driving that tin can?" "Ha ha. I'll have you know that this babe is the chick MAGNET!" Blaze yelled hastily.  
  
"Yeah, and that's why you're a courier rather than swimming through piles of gorgeous babes," Bryce retorted. "You know, just for that, I think I'm going to blow up your shipment right now. It'd be a damn shame too- considering the new swimsuit magazine just came out," Blaze said slyly. "Whoa! Let's not be hasty! I mean, innocent pictures of scantily-clad women might get hurt!" Bryce said quickly. "Heh. That's your problem Bryce. You're too afraid to make sacrifices," Blaze said, pulling up alongside the fuel pumps. "The shipment's in back. Can I bum some fuel? I've been ridding fumes all day," Blaze said into the radio mike. "Sure. You know how to work the pump," Bryce said, walking around to the back of the craft. A large rear door opened to reveal a cargo bay full of crates. One by one, Bryce started to carry the crates into the store.  
  
Blaze walked out of the control room and followed a hallway to a side hatch. He opened it and jumped to the sandy earth below. As he landed, a small breeze kicked up, scattering sand to the winds. As he landed, a curtain of sand flowed over him. He emerged, sand dribbling off his flight cap, the goggles glaring in the sun. Wild tufts of red hair poked out along the rim of the leather cap, as his yellow shined in the light. His beige t- shirt ruffled in the wind, as the jacket tied around his waist billowed around him like a kilt. The hilt of a large sword poked up over his left shoulder as he stood up. He high-fived Bryce as he walked past, and headed to the fuel pumps. He started hauling the large hose towards his transport, when a cloud on the horizon caught his attention.  
  
"What'cha looking at?" Bryce asked as he made another trip to the cargo bay. "Do you see that cloud out there? Something's coming here fast.." Blaze questioned. Bryce stopped, staring to where his friend pointed. "Eh. It's probably Case. He probably found that two-headed snake he always comes across," Bryce said as he went back to work. Blaze gave on last glance, and clambered up onto one of the massive treads of his transport, hooking the fuel line to the tank. By the time he finished, the cloud was less then a mile away with Case at the head, driving like a man possessed. Case slammed the break and turned hard, skidding across the desert ground.  
  
Before the car even slowed down, Case leaped out of his seat, hitting the ground running. He sprinted over to Blaze, yelling, "YOU GUYS! YOU AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!" "Try me," Bryce said. "NO- YOU SERIOUSLY AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!" Case bellowed. "I think Bryce is gullible enough. Remember the zipper incident?" Blaze said smugly. "THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" Bryce howled. "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Case screamed. Bryce and Blaze stopped bickering and listened intently as Case explained his story. "I have no idea what you just said," Bryce said, sounding utterly dumbfounded. "Is it even near physical possibility to move your mouth that fast?" Blaze asked.  
  
"RAH! I'M SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS!" Case roared to the sky. He picked Blaze and Bryce, throwing them into the hover cargo. He then sprinted into the store, and emerged carrying a sleeping Seth over his head. With all his might, he hurled Seth through the door before jumping in himself. He hauled them all to the bridge, and deposited Blaze in the driver's seat. "You. Drive. NOW!" Case commanded, pointing to their location on a nearby map. "AYE AYE, CAP'N! FULL THROTTLE! You guys might. uh. want to sit down." Blaze suggested. "Oh yeah, our bodies DEFFINATELY won't be able to stand while we're moving a WHOPPING 5 mph," Bryce said sardonically, rolling his eyes. "I warned you.." Blaze said, hitting the throttle. The craft accelerated instantaneously, as Bryce and Case fell to the floor. "THAT CAN'T BE GOOD!" Bellowed Bryce as the Hover Cargo started to shake violently.  
  
"RELAX! SHE'LL HOLD!" Blaze cackled. "Why do I find that not comforting?" Case muttered as the craft tore through the desert. Soon enough, they had reached the hole Case had made earlier. As they got ready to descend, Seth awoke. "Huh? Where the hell are we?" Seth asked. Case quickly told Seth the story as they piled out of the hover cargo and onto the desert floor. The group collected around the rim of the hole, looking into the dust hallway below. "Into the abyss we descend.." Seth said in a demonic voice. "I vote Seth goes in first!" Blaze said quickly, giving Seth a mighty shove. "Wha-" Seth said as he fell into the hole. "Heh. Have a nice trip Seth?" Blaze said evilly. He laughed some more, but soon stopped when he realized that Seth had grabbed his leg. "Now, Seth. It was all in good fu- WHOA!" Blaze yelped as Seth yanked him into the hole.  
  
"Pain suuccks.." Blaze moaned from the bottom of the hole. "Aww, does Blazy- poo have an owie? Maybe if I kiss it it will feel better," cooed Bryce. "Kiss THIS!" Blaze retorted, snatching Bryce's ankle and yanking him into the hole. In a last ditch attempt to avoid pain, Bryce latched on to Case's wrist. "This won't end well," Case commented as they were dragged into the hole. Soon enough, all four were a pile of flesh and sand on the floor of the underground room. "Right- so where are these zoids you-" Seth said, staring dumbfoundedly at the piles of scrap below him. "Ye gods.." Blaze said, surveying the piles of metal before him. "Let's have a look at 'em!" Bryce said, walking down the stairs to the wreckage below.  
  
"Looks like an abandoned base from the Old war," Blaze said, looking at all the destroyed zoids. "If we're lucky, a few of them might even be completely salvageable," Case said happily, examining his find. "This is a Republican base from the Helic-Guylos war. But these zoids are all from the empire," Seth said, looking at a large group of zoids on one side of the room. "My guess is that and Imperial invasion force tried to take this bunker." Blaze whistled as he looked at some of the battered relics. "Some of this stuff is in pretty good condition- check out this Zoid!" Bryce said, looking at a sable and crimson zoid. "That's a Zeek Dober. One of the first Zoids made by the Imperials and still one of the fastest land Zoid to date. Weapons consist of two missile launchers and a 30mm cannon," Seth said proudly. "Yeah- well if you're so smart, then what about these zoids?" Case said, pointing at a pair of serviceable zoids. "The first is a.. Command Wolf Juggernaut, a heavy artillery zoid with face-mounted missile pods, twin 50mm cannons, and quad 200mm mortar cannons. Just like you, it's heavy, slow, and beats the crap out of anything that moves. The second is a Glow Fox, a scout zoid with twin 80mm cannons and an electromagnetic net gun," Seth said in one breath.  
  
"Whoa- someone's a SMIDGE too interested in the zoids circuit," Blaze said. "Hey guys- This thing still works!" Bryce said, fooling around with the controls in the Zeek Dober cockpit. "Be careful! We don't know if its weapons are still operational!" Case warned. "Yeah, what are the odds of that?" Bryce asked. Suddenly, a certain zoid caught Blaze's eyes. "WHOA! A PTERAS! I'VE WANTED ONE SINCE I WAS NINE!" Blaze said, hugging a cerulean zoid. "Now I've finally fulfilled my childhood dream," he said with tears in his eyes. "I wonder what this trigger-like device does.." muttered Bryce in the cockpit of the Zeek Dober. Suddenly, shots erupted from the Zeek Dober's tail cannon, ripping its target to pieces.  
  
Target being the Pteras directly behind it.  
  
Blaze shielded himself as the zoid next to him collapsed in a pile of flaming rubble. "All my dreams.. gone.." he cried. "WHOOPS! Uh, I guess the weapons DO work," Bryce said, smiling innocently. Picking himself up, Blaze started to unsheathe his sword. "Let's see.. I THINK I'm within killing distance," he muttered, preparing to introduce Bryce to his Blade. Suddenly, the room shook as shots erupted on the desert above them. "What the hell is that?!" Case yelled. "I'm not too sure I wanna find out!" Seth replied.  
  
END PART 1 


	2. The good, the bad, and the SCHWINGy

Zoids: Trials by Fire Part 2  
  
By Mr. Bigg  
  
Disclaimer: see Chapter 1  
  
Dedication: I forgot to do this last chapter- This is a shout out to my buds, the main basis for our bumbling heroes, and without their constant threats I'd probably never write this story.  
  
The shots up ahead grew louder still as the floor started to shake. "I think they're getting closer!" Bryce wailed. "Oh really? What was you're FIRST clue?" Case screamed. "Maybe we should see what's going on up there," Seth suggested. "Yeah, sure! And after that, we could go play chicken with a freight train! Or play running bases on the freeway!" Blaze roared sarcastically. "Actually, I think Seth is right. We should try and see what's going on. Maybe someone needs our help," Case said wisely. "FINE. Let's just go already," Bryce said, walking towards the entrance hole. Soon, they had regrouped underneath the portal to the desert above.  
  
"Ok, who's going to look?" Case asked. "I'm not going to look- think of how all the babes would be disappointed if I died," Blaze said smugly, stroking his chin. "Please- There's probably a special award for the person responsible for wiping you out of existence," Seth muttered. "Stop arguing and let's settle this like adults. Years ago people came up with a equal, just way of election that the masses still use today and will pass down for generations to come," Bryce explained. "And what is this brilliant system, oh wise one?" Case inquired. "It's quite simple my friends- ONE TWO THREE NOT IT!" Bryce said quickly. "NOT IT!" Blaze shouted. "NOT IT!" Seth said quickly after. "NOT I- aww damn," moaned Case. "Well- you know what you have to do," Bryce said, handing Case a pair of binoculars.  
  
"Fine, someone give me a boost," Case sighed. Seth and Blaze picked him up on their shoulders so that only Case's head poked out of the hole. "Well? What do you see?" Bryce asked. "There's a big group of Heldigunners in the distance- I think that's Pibb's gang," Case replied. "What the hell is Pibb doing in the desert at this time of day? Shouldn't he be pillaging some town or something?" Seth asked. "Wait- it looks like he's chasing something. SCHWING!" Case said. "What? What's he chasing?" Blaze asked. "SCHWINGAGE DUDES- MAJOR SCHWINGAGE!" Case cackled with glee. "Really? Let me see!" Bryce said. "No way! I'm not done looking yet!" Case said, nearly drooling as he stared at the woman through his binoculars. Bryce jumped and snatched the binoculars away from Case and took a peek himself. "Where is sh- WHOA!" Bryce gasped. "What! Is she fuego?" Blaze asked. "She is MUY FUEGO!" Bryce chortled.  
  
"Okay- it's my turn to look!" Blaze said, dropping Case on Seth. He was about to take the binoculars from Bryce when some of the cross fire made them all fall to the floor below. "You know- maybe we should save her," Seth proposed. "With what!? Pibb's gang is the toughest the desert's ever seen! We don't even have anything to fight them with!" Bryce said. "We got them," Seth said, gesturing to the room of fallen Zoids. "Those things are relics! We aren't even sure if they still work!" Case fumed. "Not so- I took a look at a few that seem sound. I think we can use them," Seth said. "But we can't even pilot!" Blaze said. "Relax. They work exactly like those arcade simulators do. We can do this," Seth said. "Alright, I'm in," Bryce said. "ARE YOU NUTS!?" Case bellowed. "C'mon- someone's got to stand up for the schwingage!" Seth yelled. "Point taken. I'll do it," Case said. "Then it's settled- Blaze, get to the hover cargo and help us and see if you can shield the lady long enough for us to get the zoids ready," Seth said. "Righteous," Blaze said as he took off for his hover cargo. "All right you guys- put on your game faces," Case said as they prepared for the battle ahead.  
  
* * *  
  
Poking his head out of the hole, Blaze checked to see if he was in any immediate danger. Seeing he wasn't, he sprinted over to his transport and clambered inside. "All right, wot wot! Let's get the bally show on the road!" he hooted, and sped off towards the battle.  
  
* * *  
  
Nym sprinted long and hard from her pursuers. Her golden tresses flowed long in the wind as she fled from the Heldigunners chasing her. She wore a long peach skirt with a red tube top, which waved in the wind like a flag. Suddenly, her sandal-clad foot lost her footing in a sandy dune. She cried out as she fell to earth, and stared at her attacker with fearful brown eyes.  
  
"Well girlie, you put us through quite a chase," The pilot said through a loudspeaker. "Such a pretty little head. I wonder how its insides will look splattered on the desert floor," he added, training his guns on her. Nym winced when a voice echoed across the sandy plain, "HEEEEEEEEYYYY, PIBB!" The heldigunner turned to look as it was rammed by a huge, metal monstrosity. The much smaller and lighter heldigunner soared through the air and hit the ground yards away. "You know, chasing a girl with a war machine may NOT be the best way to get their phone number," the voice said again. "Listen, prick! I don't know who you think you are, but only fools mess with my gang!" Pibb roared. "Relax Pibb- you'll live longer. May I at least ask why you're chasing her?" Blaze countered.  
  
"The bounty on her head is bigger than that piece of scrap you're driving! Now I suggest you kiss your ass goodbye!" Pibb snarled, targeting the hover cargo. "Hey Pibb, we can talk about this!" Blaze yelped. "Well my gang and I usually let out guns do the talking!" Pibb said, grinning. He was about to fire when the ground in front of him erupted.  
  
"What the HELL!?" Pibb cried in confusion. As the sand and earth settled, three zoids marched forward. "If you're looking for a fight, Pibb, best pick one with someone who can fight back!" The first zoid said, stepping close to the heldigunner. It was black and sleek, with two missiles mounted on its shoulder and a wicked cannon jutting from its back. "Looks like your little reign of terror ends here," a second voice said smoothly. From the smoke emerged a sable and gold canine zoid, with a huge double cannon on its back. "Because we aren't going to be pushed around by the likes of you!" a third finished as his white, armed to the teeth. "Look, I don't know who you three are supposed to be, but I gotta job to do!" Pibb said firing on the trio. "Don't just stand there, HELP ME!" Pibb roared to the rest of his gang. "Aww. Pibb! Where's the love!?" Bryce asked from the Zeek Dober. "SHUT UP! AND STOP CALLING ME PIBB!" Pibb bellowed, throwing everything he had at the Zeek Dober.  
  
Bryce took off with incredible speed, leaving a sandy wake in his path. Pibb and his gang tried firing on him, but their ammo was not match for the Zeek Dober's speed. "STAY STILL SO I CAN SHOOT YOU!" Pibb roared. "That's tempting, Pibb. REALLY tempting, but I'm trying to cut back on the whole death thing," Bryce retorted, speeding away. Shots erupted from the Zeek Dober's tail, knocking out three Heldigunners. "DAMMIT!" Pibb said, shooting futilely at him. Suddenly, shots erupted from Pibb's flank, destroying two of his gang member's zoids. "Aw, you didn't forget about little ol' me, didja?" Seth asked, firing some more shots. "REST ASSURED, YOU'LL GET YOURS!!" Pibb howled, firing a barrage at the Glow Fox. "Why Pibb, I'm shocked. Almost too shocked for words!" Seth uttered sincerely, nimbly dodging the attack. "Boy, now wouldn't THAT be a crime," Case muttered sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up, Case, you're ruining my fun!" Seth yelled. "Well, when do I get to have fun!?" whined Case. "IN A MINUTE, OK!! YOU'RE INTERRUPTING MY WITTY BANTER!" Seth yelled. "Dude- Pibb's not exactly the best choice for witty bantering, if you catch my drift," Case said. "WHY, YOU!! I'LL MAKE YOU-" Pibb screamed, but was silenced by a huge barrage that eliminated the remaining zoids in his gang. "Whoops. My finger slipped," Case said, smiling innocently. Pibb started to sweat a bit when he realized his chances were not good. He started to back away when the Glow Fox approached him. "What are you doing out here chasing that girl anyways? Is she some kind of criminal?" Seth asked. Pibb trained his guns on him in desperation, but they were quickly shot off by Case. "Believe me, Pibb, you're in no position to try retaliating. So how about answering some questions for us? Or, I could just let my friends turn you into a pile of rubble. Which will it be?" Seth asked. Pibb stared around fearfully. He gulped, and said, "Ok, I'll talk." This caused Seth to slack back for a second. It was all Pibb needed.  
  
With a flash, he burrowed deep into the desert sand. By the time the three recovered, he had disappeared. "What!? Where did he go!?" Bryce asked. "Case, can you get a lock on him?" Seth asked. "Uh. no. He must've had some booster or something, 'cause he's no where in the vicinity. "So what do we do now?" Bryce asked. "Well, I guess we see if the girl is all right," Seth said.  
  
END PART 2 


	3. Waking up

DISCLAIMER: I claim only the characters used in this story, and some of the zoids that will appear later on. (A/N: I'm none too sure of planet Zi's currency, so I'm just using dollars for now)  
  
Nym swam through the darkness of her unconscious state. Everything around seemed to become brighter, and suddenly she could hear voices echoing around her. Nym feigned unconsciousness and listened in.  
  
"Hey Bryce, do you think I could snag some supplies while I'm here?" one voice asked. "Ok, but business has been a little slow lately, so no discount this time," Bryce replied. "What? C'mon, I'm a bit strapped for cash too. As soon as business picks up again, I'll repay you," the first voice said. "Blaze, your tab is already past $700!" Bryce replied indignantly. "So what? You're just gonna let me starve, is that it?" Blaze asked. "Don't give me that crap- If you were so strapped for cash, why don't you sell that stupid sword of yours?" Bryce asked. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response," Blaze replied haughtily. His footsteps echoed off the wall as he marched out. "Hey, she's awake,' Bryce said.  
  
Nym opened her eyes. She found herself on a bed in a dim room, surrounded by three men around her age. "Well, I guess that bruise didn't do too much damage after all. I wish you would have let me continue my examination though." The one on the left said. "Come off it, Case. She's fine," Blaze said. Bryce leaned in close. "Hey, are you ok?" He asked Nym. Nym seized the opportunity to grab him by his throat and use him to shield herself from Blaze and Case.  
  
"Whoa there- let's not do anything hasty." Case said gently. "You- with the sword. Put it down on the floor, now!" Nym said fiercely. Blaze gingerly laid his sword on the ground. "Hey guys, what's going on?" Seth said, entering the room. He took a few minutes to survey the situation. "Uh... are you ok Bryce?" He asked. "Actually, this is kind of cool," Bryce said, looking dreamily at Nym's face. "Just answer my questions and I'll let your friend here go," Nym said. "Uh, ok. Shoot," Case said. "Where am I? How did I get here?" Nym inquired. "This is our home and store. We found you in the desert being chased by Pibb, so we decided to help you out," Blaze said slowly. "Yeah. He's probably crying somewhere in the desert right now," Case commented smugly.  
  
Pibb swore furiously as he fiddled with the frequency knob on his long range communicator. The visual display crackled with static as he tried to find the right channel. "He's gonna kill me if I'm late again," He mumbled to himself, slapping the communicator's side. The visual display flickered into action, displaying the shadowy form of a man.  
  
"At least you punctuality makes up for some of you more. unpleasant qualities. What do you have to report?" the shadow asked. "She was right where you said she would be. My gang and I had her cornered. But." "'But'? 'But' can be a very dangerous word, Pibb, especially if I don't want to hear it. Where is the disk!?" Yelled the figure. "Uh. she had help. There must have been at least 20 of 'em, and we held our ground as long as we could, but they surprised us and shot us down before we could do anything. I barely managed to get away," Pibb lied. "Do you know where she is now?" The shadowy man growled. "Yeah, my scouts say she's hiding at a local's place. I know those guys: they're a bunch of snot-nosed pushovers. We'll have that disk of yours before nightfall," Pibb replied. "You better, Pibb. If you fail this time, I can assure you won't live to plunder another town with your pathetic lackeys," The figure threatened as he ended his transmission. Pibb grimaced as he turned off the communicator. "Will do. father."  
  
"So. you aren't bounty hunters?" Nym asked. "Uh, no. but Bryce is married to one if that helps," Seth said. "Shut up Seth! Don't listen to him, lady, he can't be trusted! In fact, uh, maybe you should take me hostage so you can make your escape. We could travel the world, have lots of fun." Bryce said dreamily to Nym. Nym released Bryce, who collapsed to the floor. "So you were just trying to help me?" Nym asked. "Yeah. It's a good thing we found you when we did, or you'd of died from dehydration," Blaze said. "Well, in that case, I'M SO SORRY!" Nym said, releasing Bryce. 'What was I thinking? They must think I'm a freak!' She thought to herself as tears of shame streamed down her face. "Er, there there," Bryce said, patting her on the shoulder. "Aww, someone need s a hug," Case said, moving in close. Bryce swatted him away. "Hey, What was that for?" He yelled indignantly. "Yeah, let us comfort her for a while!" Seth demanded. "Find you own. I was here first!" Bryce retorted.  
  
"That sounds like a challenge," Blaze said, unsheathing his sword. "Bring it, Blaze! Or shall I say, Brinley?" Bryce asked. "You told!" Blaze said, aghast. "Haha. Your name is Brinley?" Case said, cracking up. "Shut up, man!" Blaze said, shoving Case. Case responded by throwing Blaze into the wall. "Owww." Blaze groaned, slumping down to the floor. "DAMMIT! Case, you moron! What'd you do to our wall!?" Seth asked, gesturing to the large dent in the wall. "No big deal. We're insured, right?" Case asked. "NO, WE ARE NOT INSURED!" Seth roared. "Well. shit," Case said, running his hand over the depression in the wall.  
  
Suddenly, Nym felt very dizzy. "I don't feel too good." She mumbled weakly, sitting down on a chair. "Christ, she's still dehydrated. Bryce, go get something for her to drink!" Case yelled. "Yes sir!" Bryce said mockingly, goose-stepping into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a tea pot and a chipped, but clean, mug. "There ya go. drink up!" Bryce said quietly to Nym as he poured the tea. She took the cup and drank greedily. "That's better. but the tea tastes kind of funny." Nym commented. "Really? Let me taste it," Bryce said, grabbing a mug for himself. He took a sip and pulled a face. "Well, I'll soon change that," Bryce said, disappearing into the kitchen and reappearing with a large bottle filled with amber liquid.  
  
"Here we go!" He said, pouring the liquid into the tea. Nym took another sip, and sputtered as the brew scorched her throat. "What the hell did you put in her tea!?" Seth asked. "I added some more whiskey. I didn't put enough in the first batch," Bryce replied. "ARE YOU HIGH!? You can't put whiskey in sick people's tea!" Case yelled. "A little liquor always makes me feel better!" Bryce retorted. "That's it- the booze is our of here!" Case yelled, grabbing the bottle and moving towards the trash. "NO! NOT THE BOOZE!" Bryce yelled, diving at Case. Unfortunately, this caused Case to drop the bottle.  
  
The fighting stopped as the pair watched the bottle hit the floor. As the glass broke, Bryce grimaced, as if someone had stolen a peace of his soul. He crawled over to the broken glass, staring at the remains of his whiskey. "Uh.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drop it.." Case said, making his way for the door. "I'll..kill.. YOU!" Bryce snarled, leaping at Case. Case ran for dear life thought the small building. Strong though he was, it was suicidal to take on Bryce after doing something as heinous as ruining his booze. He ran outside and hid behind Blaze's Hover Cargo.  
  
"You can come out, Case. I'm not mad anymore. After all, it was just a bottle of whiskey.." Bryce said, with a hint of rage in his words. "Liar! The real you would never say anything like that!" Case said. He scolded himself for giving away his position. "GOT YOU!" Bryce said, grabbing Case by the neck. He squeezed Case's throat with both hand, strangling him. "Bryce.. stop.." Case wheezed. "What, Case? Are you going to plead for your life?" Bryce cackled sadistically. "No, look!" Case said, pointing out to the desert. A huge gang of zoids was coming their was, and in front of the group was none other than Pibb's Heldigunner. "Oh bloody hell," Bryce mumbled quietly. 


	4. On the run

Disclaimer: Claim DIS, fool!  
  
Seriously, I own everything except the zoids in this story (minus a few that come later on), but let's get this road on the show, eh?  
  
"Alright you guys, we got a problem!" Case said, running into the store, dragging Bryce. "What's wrong? Is there a sandstorm or something?" Seth asked nonchalantly. "Yeah, except replace 'sandstorm' with Pibb and 'something' with about 75 other zoids! And we're relatively sure they're not looking to buy anything!" Case screamed. Blaze peeked out the window, and started laughing. "Man, Pibb's gonna kick your ass!" He said, chuckling to himself. "What do you mean, 'your ass'!? You were there too!" Bryce roared hysterically. "Whoa- I didn't go all trigger happy in the desert! To me, that was just wrong place, wrong time! I'm sure Pibb will understand!" Blaze replied.  
  
At that moment, Pibb fired two shots which nearly toppled Blaze's hover cargo. "SURE, he'll understand!" Bryce said mockingly. "LISTEN UP! I KNOW YOU HAVE NYM IN THERE! YOU GOT 1 MINUTE TO SURENDER THE DISC AND YOUR LIVES, OR I START SHOOTING AGAIN!" Pibb screamed. "Well, those are some great options. What now?" Seth asked. "I think I have an idea." Case said, eyeing Nym intently..  
  
Pibb grinned with satisfaction. After a few seconds, one of the guys emerged with Nym slung over his shoulder, kicking and screaming. A second one held an item that glittered in the desert sun. So that's the disc.. Pibb thought, wondering why such a little object was so important. The third carried some sort of bottle, but Pibb could not make out its contents. When they were just feet away from his Heldigunner, Pibb opened the cockpit. "That's as far as you go!" He ordered, gesturing at them with a pistol. "Lay the girl and the disc on the ground. No sudden movements!" He warned. Two of the guys placed the Nym and the disc on the ground in front of the Heldigunner, while the third slowly moved the bottle behind his back.  
  
"What do you think you're doing!?" Pibb growled, pointing his gun at the third. "Me? Well, I just brought this bottle of Scotch out with me. You know, as a peace offering," The third guy said. "Peace offering, eh? Alright then- give it here!" Pibb hollered. "You got it Pibb- I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!" The guy replied, throwing the bottle as hard as he could.  
  
Time seemed to slow as Pibb noticed the flaming rag sticking out of the bottle's neck. He dived as fast as he could out of the cockpit, feeling the searing heat of the flame as the firebomb exploded. In the confusion, the cannons on the hover cargo started shooting wildly. Pibb could see the trio grab Nym and run as fast as they can. He swore furiously as he tried to stand, but he collapsed to the desert floor. "Heh... *cough* run while you *cough* still can kiddies.." He yelled, as his chilling laugh filled the entire desert.  
  
"You better hurry up down there! The turrets aren't designed for all this fire!" Blaze yelled from the Hover cargo. "Don't worry! With the zoids loaded, we're just waiting for Case and Bryce to grab some stuff from the store!" Seth yelled back. "I hope those morons don't forget anything......." He grumbled to himself.  
  
Meanwhile, Case and Bryce were frantically filling boxes with books, magazines and videos of 'adult' nature. "Alright, we have the clothes, the money, the 'unmentionables'.. I think we're set," Case said. "Whiskey, porter, brandy, vodka, my larger ales, wines and spirits, and the bourbon," Bryce counted. "Let's go!"  
  
They grabbed their stuff, and with difficulty, they managed to make it outside, where the Hover Cargo still managed to hold Pibb's forces at bay. At least, for five more seconds. The turrets whined loudly, and then stopped firing altogether. Pibb's scattered forces seized their chance by regrouping and surging towards the transport Zoid.  
  
"That ain't good," Blaze said, regarding the radar with distaste. "What? Has the shit hit the fan?" Bryce asked as Seth, Case, Nym and he entered the bridge. "Naw. They'll never get past the shield," Blaze replied constantly.  
  
The gods must have been bored that day, because alarms started going of like sirens were going out of style. If looks could kill, well, Bryce probably would have died many times before now. "I take it the shit has hit the fan?" Seth asked innocently. "OH YEAH. And thanks to Bryce, Captain of the people who jinx the remainder of the populace, we gotta clean it off the walls," Blaze ranted, opening the throttle. "Come on- it's not my fault this scrap pile breaks down every five feet!" Bryce argued. "Dude, be fair- everything's your fault," Case muttered quietly.  
  
"Shut up. What we need now is a plan," Seth said. "Well, we could get in those zoids we found and try fighting them off," Case suggested. "Yeah. I mean, there are three of us and like, only a million of them. Hey- while we're at it, we can stop using spoons, crap on the floor and abandon all concepts of human rationality!" Bryce commented. "So, you're opposed to the fighting plan?" Seth asked sarcastically. "Does the pope shit in the woods?" Bryce shot back. "Hey, could you guys figure something out? I'm running out of options!" Blaze yelled. "It's suicide to try and fight them. Our best chance probably is to outrun them," Nym said quietly. "The hotness has spoken!" Blaze said, flooring it. The four hooted as they started pulling away from their pursuers.  
  
"Sir! The target is beginning to accelerate!" One of Pibb's lackeys said over the radio. "Roger that. All troops- half of you, proceed to the following point and burrow into the dunes. The rest of you, follow me!" Pibb roared from his charred cockpit. As the group divided, Pibb pushed forward with greater fury, waiting for his prey to fall into the trap he just made..  
  
"We're losing them!" Blaze chortled from the driver's seat. "I don't get it- their zoids should have overtaken us by now.." Seth muttered, furrowing his brow. "What, you can't take the fact that we're going to beat these guys? Accept it- the Armordillo is the greatest zoid on all of Zi!" Blaze said. "Dude, that statement was so wrong it was obscene," Bryce said. "Obscene, eh? Obscene like all those dirty magazines you own?" Blaze asked slyly. "What!? I, uh, read those for the articles! I, in no way, condone the objectifying of women!" Bryce said, mainly towards Nym. Luckily for Bryce, Nym was more focused on the pursuing zoids than Bryce's personal life.  
  
Case broke the conversation quickly. "Blaze- try turning left," He suggested. "Are you kidding? We could lose ground that way!" Blaze replied, looking back at his friend. "Just try it. I have to be sure of something," Case said, staring him in the eye. Blaze nodded as he started to veer his craft to the left. Before he could turn completely, however, he was pestered with gunfire. "That's not good. We're being herded," Seth mumbled. "You saw it too?" Case asked. "Yeah. They must have some sort of plan.." Seth hypothesized. "What's going on?" Bryce asked. "Well, they've slowed down because they aren't trying to catch us anymore. Instead, they're making sure we go this way, probably to catch us in an ambush," Seth explained calmly. "Ok, so what do we do now?" Blaze asked. "Hey, I just saw that they were herding us. As for getting out of it, well, it beats the hell out of me," Seth replied. "In other words, we're shafted," Bryce replied slowly. Case nodded and said, "Yeah, that's a good way of putting it."  
  
No sooner had he said this when Heldigunners burst from the surrounding dunes, encircling them. Blaze raised the shields to full power just as their adversaries opened fire. "What now?" Bryce asked Seth. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'WHAT NOW'? IT SEEMS THE YOUR ONLY PURPOSE TO OPEN YOUR TRAP IS TO DRINK AND ASK STUPID QUESTIONS! IT'S ALWAYS 'WHAT'S GOING ON,' OR, 'WHAT NOW?' OR 'LOOK HOW I CAN MAKE IT BIGGER IF I CAN RUB IT!'! WHY DO I HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE FRIGGEN' ANSWERS!? HERE'S A THOUGHT- WHY DON'T YOU THINK OF SOMETHING FOR A CHANGE?!" Seth yelled in an uncharacteristic lapse into rage. "Uh.. why don't we radio for help?" Bryce suggested meekly. "Good idea. Why couldn't you think of something like that, Seth?" Blaze asked as he flipped on the radio. "But.. GAHH!" Seth roared, walking out of the bridge. "This is the Armordillo to all available zoids in the area- we're under attack, and we need some help ASAP- our shield battery's dropping fast," Blaze said into the radio. "I hope someone heard that," he said, shutting the radio off.  
  
Miles above the scorching desert floor, a lone Salamander soared majestically through the cloudless sky. With its wings outspread and its light sapphire armor glinting in the sun; it easily could have been mistaken for a mighty dragon of lore. In the cockpit, the bounty hunter Cira gazed at the desert below with a sense of detachment. "What a wasteland. No profits out today," she sighed. The radio interrupted her self pity, however, when a familiar voice cried, "Armordillo.. under attack,..need help.. shield.. dropping fast." Cira laughed to herself as she steered towards the danger. "C'mon, Salamander!" She shouted, following the distress signal.  
  
The Armordillo shook violently as the shield gave out. "That's it! We're screwed!" Blaze cried. "You know, Nym, I don't want to die a virgin," Case said smoothly. Just as he closed his mouth, Blaze's craft heaved itself off the desert floor, only to land on its side.  
  
When Bryce opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the wall, with an unconscious Nym on top of him. "My, don't you look comfy," Seth said dryly, crawling into the bridge. "Is everyone ok?" Case said, extracting himself from a pile of junk. "My Armordillo.. Blaze said, gazing at the wreckage around him. "Sweet victory!" Bryce said, tearing with joy as he hugged Nym closer to his body. "What happened?" Nym said groggily, coming to. Bryce immediately jerked his hands back. "I, uh, shielded you with my body! Worked pretty well, eh?" Bryce said, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, meat shield, you'd better get ready for the big guns," Case said, pointing at Pibb's gang out the window.  
  
"PREPARE TO BE BLASTED!" Pibb's voice roared, as his gang closed in on the toppled transporter. Just as they were about to open fire, a blue behemoth swooped into there midst. As the dragon zoid landed, a transmission went out to Pibb's gang. "If you all don't clear out pronto, you're all scrap!" a voice said, as the Salamander's many guns locked onto the various zoids. "No way, sister! You're crazy if you think you can stop me!" Pibb roared, charging the Salamander. When Pibb got close, the Salamander pinned Pibb's Heldigunner under its massive wing, and aimed both of the Salamander's missiles at the cockpit. "What are you doing?! If you fire, we're all dead!" Pibb said.  
  
"Like you said: I'm crazy. Now you'd better call off your boys if you want to make it out alive!" The Salamander's pilot responded. Pibb opened a frequency to his gang, and one by one they left. "There'll be other days.." Pibb growled as he left.  
  
"They're leaving! We won!" Seth exclaimed. "Yeah, but who's that in the Salamander?" Nym asked. "Well, I'll be! Hey Bryce- Cira's here! And she's probably looking for a reward!" Case said, smiling evilly at Bryce. "Cira!? OH CRAP! For the love of God, some one hide me! Quick!," Bryce cried. Suddenly, Cira's face appeared on the transmission screen. "Hey, it's Cira! Is Bryce in there!?" Cira asked. Bryce hunched over in the corner, moaning, "Pibb! Come back!"  
  
END PART 4 


	5. Filler Chapter!

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry I couldn't write a real chapter for you this time. Maybe I'll the real chapter over the weekend.  
But as for this, I decided to post the bios so that the viewer (That's you) could better understand where the characters come from, because they're all based on my friends more or less, and people who don't know us might not understand everything. So let's get this road on the show, eh?  
  
1. THE GOOD  
  
THE GUYS  
  
As said before, the main male characters of this story are all based on friend of mine (and myself). The way their group is set up, they're diverse, but they're also all more or less the same. They're pervs, they're cowards, and they're all callow, which makes them more prone to running rather than fighting. When the beautiful yet mysterious Nym enters their lives, old friendships turn into a vicious (yet funny) competition of who win Nym's heart (or who can get between her legs). While their tactics may be dastardly and underhanded, they bring something more to the story than a traditional hero could.  
  
Name: Bryce (None of the guys have a last name as of yet. It's not that important that they do). Age: 18 Hair: Brown, shaggy Eyes: Brown Height: 5'9" Weight: 163 lbs. Build: He's pretty built Clothes: A tan singlet, cargo pants with various pockets, and leather boots Carries: A set of mechanic's tools, and a flask filled with various alcoholic beverages. How perverted is he: he's a dirty pervert. Enjoys: Alcohol in any size or form. Occupation: Mechanic Strength: the drink. Weakness: The drink, and Women. Group stereotype: The wiseass Personality: Bryce is based mostly on me. He's been known to be dull witted, yet he's been known to let some nuggets of genius slip. Most of the time though, Bryce is under the impression that he can say whatever he wants, whenever he wants to. He's as perverted as the rest of his friends, but his bigger vice is his love of the drink. Bryce is a regular connoisseur of alcohol, and loves every kind there is. He seems immune to the effects however, and when he drinks enough, he can become as suave as James Bond. It's almost like he develops another personality, and his friends have been known to call upon Bryce's 'other side' when in a sticky situation.. Zoid: Zeek Dober  
  
Name: Seth Age: 18 Hair: Dirty blond, short Eyes: Auburn Height: 6' 0" Weight: 140 lbs. Build: Lanky Clothes: A wide-brimmed hat, black t-shirt, and jeans Carries: He has a handheld computer. How perverted is he: he's a shameful pervert Enjoys: sleeping Occupation: The store manager Strength: His formidable computer skills Weakness: Women Group Stereotype: The idle Genius Personality: He's based on a friend of mine named Chris, who has l33t |- |4X0r skills, or something like that. Seth is an arrogant genius, and he knows it. He prefers complex strategies to impulsive battles, and he is very good at recognizing patterns. He often is able to second-guess what people are going to do next. Seth's genius makes him a bit of a pessimist, however, and he has a darker and more cynical sense of humor than most people. Enemies of his should be wary: He's always got an ace in the hole somewhere.. Zoid: Glow Fox  
  
Name: Case Age: 18 Hair: Black, short and spiky Eyes: Dark blue Height: 6'2" Weight: 200 lbs. (all muscle, baby!) Build: Like a fire plug Clothes: A beater, a cargo vest, ragged cut offs Carries: Usually has some sort of food on his person.. How perverted is he: He's a hardcore pervert. Enjoys: fighting Occupation: salvage dealer Strength: He's about as strong (if not stronger) than Lena (From Zoids: New Century Zero, if you forgot) when she's angry Weakness: Women (I'm sensing a pattern here) Pick-up line: "Hey Baby- wanna do it?" Group Stereotype: The Muscle Personality: Case is strong in all aspects. He's pretty bright, strong as an elephant, and is VERY opinionated about his beliefs. He's definitely the heavy hitter in the group, and when he goes on a rampage, few forces can stop him (except if he harms Bryce's booze). He's hot-headed, and is prone to hitting his friends, if the need arises. He's a pervert, and he's not ashamed to admit it (as long as Nym doesn't know..). He loves to fight, whether he's in the cockpit of a zoid or if he's fighting with his fists. One thing's for certain: If you're in a fight, hope he's on your side. Zoid: Command Wolf Juggernaut  
  
Name: Brinley (AKA Blaze) Age: 18 Hair: Red, wild Eyes: Green Height: 6'1" Weight: 174 lbs. Build: lean Clothes: a leather flight cap (like WW1 pilots would wear), beige shirt, flight jacket around his waist, cargo shorts Carries: A sword How perverted is he: He's a semi-pervert. Enjoys: piloting Occupation: Courier Strength: He's a pretty good pilot, and is nasty with a sword Weakness: Women Group Stereotype: The eccentric Personality: Blaze has a personality, all right. Even in such a futuristic world, Blaze is obsessed with the days when knights still traveled, and he pines for the days of chivalry and honor. Strangers would say he's delusional, friends would say he was electrocuted at one point, but Blaze doesn't really care how people view him. He carries with him an ancient yet serviceable broadsword, which is an ancient family heirloom of mysterious origin. And he definitely knows how to use it. Unlike his friends, Blaze isn't really perverted, and is an all-around decent guy. That is, when he's not driving.. Zoid: Armordillo (a made-up transport zoid, it can store up to five combat zoids and it acts like a much smaller version of the Ultrasauras, but it doesn't have nearly as much firepower. Blaze has had it modified heavily (mainly by Bryce), so it is able to travel at much faster speeds. It can even travel underwater if need be.  
  
THE GIRLS  
  
Ok, on to the heroines! I don't really know many girls very well, even though I am a Mac Daddy *cough* DIRTY LIE *cough*, so I didn't really base any of these characters on people I know. But here they are anyways. The Bios are a bit short, because not much is known about them.  
  
Name: Nym Age: 17 Hair: Long (to her lower back), blonde Eyes: Brown Height: 5'6" Weight: unknown Clothes: Peach colored skirt, red tube top, sometimes wears a bandana around her head Carries: A laptop, flashlight, and a small set of archeologist's tools. Enjoys: Archaeology Occupation: Unknown Strength: Her intelligence Weakness: won't do anything that would harm her loved ones Personality: Nym tends to be very straightforward and serious, and not much is yet known about her. She seems to be caring and tries desperately to be a good person. She's very beautiful, and is capable of turning heads wherever she goes (even if she doesn't realize it). She likes to be helpful, and does not like other people to do stuff for her. On side note, she is secretly waiting for Mr. Right to come along, but has yet to meet anyone who fits the bill... Zoid: None  
  
Name: Cira Age: 19 Hair: Auburn, tied into two pigtails Eyes: Gray Height: 6'0" Weight: Unknown Clothes: a sleeveless black body glove (like a spandex jumpsuit), knew-high boots and a khaki knee-length trench coat. Carries: An electronic catalogue of bounties, which is also capable of creating maps of anyplace on the planet via a satellite uplink. Enjoys: Spending time with an oh-so-special someone.. Occupation: Bounty Hunter Strength: Her combat skills Weakness: Bryce Personality: Cira is a determined lass, if anything. She is one of the most respected bounty hunters on Zi. When dealing with Bryce, she acts like a giggling schoolgirl (that is, when she's not trying to get him alone..) but when dealing with others she can be stubborn and uncompromising in her beliefs. Along with her Zoid, the mighty Salamander, she is a formidable opponent. With her strength of will and her strength of conviction, she may be one of the strongest Zoid pilots to date. Zoid: Salamander  
  
2. THE BAD AND/OR THE UGLY  
  
THE GUY(S)  
  
Alright, there's not much I can do in this section yet, because we only have one REAL bad guy so far. But he's a pretty nasty guy, if that means anything. More bad guys will appear when needed.  
  
Name: Pibb (I thought a bad guy would come off as funny/stupid if he was given a name like Pibb). Age: Unknown Hair: Black Eyes: Unknown, wears a filter mask that protects him from inhaling sand carried in desert winds. Height: 6'5" Weight: Unknown Clothes: green khaki pants, a white T-shirt, and a cargo vest Carries: Various Guns Enjoys: Cracking heads Occupation: Gang leader Strength: His gang Weakness: He gets angry at everything Personality: Ruthless, cruel and powerful, Pibb has ruled the desert for a long time. He and his gang control the towns and shipping routes, taxing everyone they can. He has never lost in battle (mainly due to his underhanded tactics or strength in numbers). As of late, his gang's attacks have become more strategic, and they've stopped stealing for now. It's almost as if they're looking from something, or someone, in the desert sands. Zoid: Heldigunner 


End file.
